Chapter 8

The old man, as if knowing what Bu Li was thinking, said, "That old vine has been alive for over a thousand years, so its soul power is naturally much stronger than that of these small wild beasts. If you can bear it, we'll go; if not, it's fine to choose another one."

Bu Li didn't even think about it, he got up from the bed, and with a stiff posture, bent backward into a bridge, touching the ground with his hands. After stretching his muscles, he slowly stood up and said, "Let's go."

The old man, who seemed to be about to be blown away by the wind, also shakily stood up. His black clothes clung tightly to his body, looking a bit too large. The black hood enveloped his face in darkness, giving him a mysterious and eerie appearance. Hu Wu's body was as if it had no flesh, worn down by time to just a skeleton, his energy long since dissipated with the wind.

"Killed a snow wolf, I'll give you the skin. No time to tan it now, but when we get back, find someone to tan it for you. Lay it on the bed in winter, it will keep you warm," Bu Li said.

"Understood. After becoming a pattern engraver this time, you still have to participate in the Ancestral Trial. If you win, your parents' memorial tablets can be moved into the ancestral hall, and you won't have to sneak around like this anymore. You should give me less trouble, that's better than anything," the old man, as if afraid of the wind, tightened his black clothes and said, "Let's go, where's your black bear?"

"Dahei, he went to find a female bear. He'll come back when he's done. This guy is really hard to manage," Bu Li said, somewhat helplessly, about his hunting pet. He would go looking for a female bear every few days, and no one knew where he got so much energy. Yet, he was as timid as a mouse, full of energy when bullying the weak, but would hide and play dead when faced with a strong opponent. If not for the affection he had developed from being raised by Bu Li since he was young, he would have been replaced by another wild beast long ago, even a mountain dog would be better than Dahei.

"What kind of person raises what kind of pet," Hu Wu said with a chuckle.

"..."

Bu Li, Cai Xiaoxian, and Hu Wu entered the forest, the path becoming increasingly difficult, but the three of them walked as if on flat ground, showing no signs of effort or strain. After crossing several small mountains and walking for nearly a hundred miles on rugged mountain paths, they finally stopped at the foot of a towering mountain that reached into the clouds.

"Is the old vine you've been looking at that one?" Bu Li pointed to the distance and asked.

In the starry night, although the moonlight was like water, visibility was not very high. The distant mountain looked like a sharp sword piercing the sky, and everything on it was pitch black and indistinct. However, this seemed to be no problem for Bu Li and Hu Wu, who could see everything clearly. The old vine entwined around the mountain seemed to be a delicious dish waiting for Bu Li to taste.

"Yes, that's it," Hu Wu said.

Cai Xiaoxian looked at the distant mountain, helplessly realizing she had no idea what the old man was talking about with Bu Li. The mountain seemed to have nothing on it. What were they talking about? She poked her head out from behind Bu Li, looking around curiously but carefully avoiding Hu Wu, not knowing why she was so afraid of him.

"How do we do it?" Bu Li asked.

"This time, I'll do it, and you watch carefully. You only have one chance to learn. In the future, you'll have to do the pattern engraving yourself," Hu Wu reached into his black clothes and pulled out a bamboo tube, saying, "This is the vessel for carrying the soul. The major sects use jade and other precious materials. Our conditions are simple, so we'll make do with this. When you leave these mountains, you'll have countless opportunities to get better treasures. Extract the soul, put it in here, then integrate it into the pattern on your body, and it becomes a pattern beast."

"Okay," Bu Li carefully examined the bamboo tube, which was slightly yellow and had been rubbed for so long that it had a smooth, jade-like texture.

"The vessel for carrying the soul is a very important tool," Hu Wu explained, "The extracted soul will suffer some damage, which depends on the time and the quality of the vessel. Generally, if you can retain more than 60% of the soul's power, it's considered good."

"What about the white pattern beast?" Bu Li asked.

"Why talk about that trash? His pattern beast can only retain about 30% of the soul's power, and he uses it incorrectly, so he has no future," Hu Wu said without mercy.

"Alright, you go ahead, I'll watch. But remember, if there's anything I don't understand, you can't keep it from me," Bu Li said with a smile.

"When I'm needed, I'm 'the old man,' but when I'm not, I'm 'that old ghost'?" Hu Wu looked at Bu Li with a sidelong glance, half-smiling. The black hood revealed a dark aura, but for some reason, this aura gave Bu Li a sense of security.

Bu Li said firmly, "No, I never say bad things about others behind their backs."

The old man chuckled, blinked, and disappeared into the night. The surrounding stars fell, bringing a chill. The old man seemed to have hidden himself, and no one knew where he had gone. Was this about to begin? As Hu Wu disappeared into the night, Cai Xiaoxian poked her head out from behind Bu Li, looking timid and cute.

"Brother, what are you going to do?" Cai Xiaoxian asked.

"Create a pattern beast, and I'll finally become a pattern engraver. The long journey begins with the first step, are you excited? Are you thrilled?" Bu Li rubbed his hands, slightly losing his composure. This was something Bu Li had been waiting for for many years, and it had become a part of his life. Seeing it about to become reality, how could he not be excited?

"Brother, will you still hunt in these mountains in the future?" Cai Xiaoxian asked.

"With a pattern beast, we can become stronger, and then I'll try to send you home," Bu Li said. When he first saw Cai Xiaoxian, there was a messy letter next to her mother's body. Bu Li read it, memorized it, and then burned it. It was a matter of great importance, something he could only keep to himself and never let others know.

Hearing this, Cai Xiaoxian pouted, about to cry. Bu Li gently grabbed her waist, lifted her into the air, and then caught her steadily, saying softly, "Brother will go with you, Cai Xiaoxian's home is Brother's home."

Hearing this, Cai Xiaoxian's tears turned to a smile, like a flower blooming, bringing spring to the night.

Bu Li patted Cai Xiaoxian's head and looked seriously into the distance. Just as Cai Xiaoxian was about to say something, she suddenly felt the ground trembling, and the forest seemed to "come alive." The cold and majestic mountains and rivers were shaking, and countless wild beasts in the forest were howling in panic, fleeing in all directions. The weaker beasts could only lie on the ground, waiting for their fate, whether life or death, beyond their control.

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